Berengar II of Italy

Berengar II of Italy (900-4 August 966) was King of Italy from 950 to 961, succeeding Lothair II of Italy and preceding Adalbert II of Italy.

Biography
Berengar was born in 900, a son of Adalbert I of Italy and Gisela of Friuli, the daughter of Berengar I of Italy. In 940, he led a rebellion against his uncle Hugh of Italy with other Italian nobles, and he was forced to flee to the court of Otto the Great to avoid capture. In 945, he returned to Italy with hired troops, and he poisoned Hugh's successor Lothair II of Italy in 950 in order to take power for himself. With his son Adalbert II of Italy as co-ruler, Berengar was crowned King of Italy on 15 December 950, but Lothair's widow Adelaide of Italy called on Otto the Great of the Holy Roman Empire to intervene. The Germans invaded Italy in 951, forcing the Italians to pay him homage; he married Adelaide. When Berengar invaded the Papal States in 960, Pope John XII appealed to Otto for help, and Otto - who needed papal approval to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor - intervened. On Christmas Day of 961, Berengar was deposed and besieged at San Leo after Otto was crowned in Rome. Berengar was imprisoned in Bamberg, Germany until his death in 966.